A Rare Case of Pancreatitis-Induced Thrombosis of the Aorta and Superior Mesenteric Artery

Chronic Pancreatitis-Induced Thrombosis of Celiac and Superior Mesenteric Artery

Every year, nearly 60,000 hospitalizations occur in the United States due to chronic pancreatitis (CP). CP can cause severe chronic abdominal pain, pancreatic insufficiency, and increased risk of pancreatic cancer. While venous thrombotic complications are common, arterial thrombotic events are rarely reported in CP. This report describes a case of a 43-year-old female who presented with severe worsening abdominal pain due to CP. Diagnostic imaging disclosed thrombosis of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and celiac artery (CA) with acute bowel wall changes reflecting ischemic changes, resulting in acute-on-chronic mesenteric ischemia. Endovascular stent placement relieved the ischemia with the resolution of pain. Arterial thrombosis should be considered as a diagnostic possibility when patients with CP present with a significant change in symptoms. Importantly, the case demonstrates that endovascular treatment with stent placement can relieve ischemia and resolve symptoms in patients with CP.

Acute Pancreatitis-Induced Thrombosis of Celiac Artery: An Unusual Complication of Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis can lead to both local and systemic complications, including pseudocysts, biliary obstruction, duodenal obstruction, sepsis, necrosis, vascular complications, and multiorgan failure. Vascular complications following acute pancreatitis are associated with a high risk of morbidity and mortality due to their thrombotic and hemorrhagic effects. When thrombosis is present, it usually involves the splanchnic venous system, but it is rarely seen in the arterial system. Celiac artery thrombosis is rare with only a few cases reported in the literature. In this case, we present a 65-year-old Hispanic female who presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and nausea, with computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the abdomen revealing acute pancreatitis with thrombosis of the celiac artery, which was managed with anticoagulation.

Vascular complications of chronic pancreatitis and its management

Chronic pancreatitis is a chronic fibro-inflammatory disorder of the pancreas, resulting in recurrent abdominal pain, diabetes mellitus, and malnutrition. It may lead to various other complications such as pseudocyst formation, benign biliary stricture, gastric outlet obstruction; and vascular complications like venous thrombosis, variceal and pseudoaneurysmal bleed. Development of varices is usually due to chronic venous thrombosis with collateral formation and variceal bleeding can easily be tackled by endoscopic therapy. Pseudoaneurysmal bleed can be catastrophic and requires radiological interventions including digital subtraction angiography followed by endovascular obliteration, or sometimes with a percutaneous or an endoscopic ultrasound-guided approach in technically difficult situations. Procedure-related bleed is usually venous and mostly managed conservatively. Procedure-related arterial bleed, however, may require radiological interventions.

Vascular complications of pancreatitis

More than 200000 hospital admissions happen per year for acute pancreatitis and more than 50000 for chronic pancreatitis in the United States of America. Necrotizing pancreatitis accounts for 20%-30% of the cases. One-quarter of the patients with pancreatitis develop vascular complications, which carries a high mortality. This mini-review will address these complications that can help primary care physicians and hospitalists in managing their patients effectively.